The white hole research team's first wave now plunged into the kettle, vaporizing instantly, but gathering critical data to the very end. Bethany had the next waves organized and after the data was partially analyzed, realized that one more sacrificial run would be sufficient. It was now confirmed, a massive energy output coming from out of nowhere. It could only be the case, that the EMs were streaming in from the adjacent universe. Within seconds, the data was received by others, across the universe, no matter the distance. Ahmad Badi and Lola, along with Abby, Laszlo and others, plugged the numbers into a massive computational model they had been working on for decades. They only had two sets of detailed data points, one from the white hole and one from the black hole, but other observations at a distance provided overall estimates of the numbers of each of these objects sitting on the universal boundary.
It was a starting point. They were able to formulate the first crude estimate of the net energy balance. This would in turn, be compared to gravitational behavior, to see if there was reasonable alignment. Even with the phenomenal computing power at their disposal, it would still take days to crunch the entire simulation. Meanwhile, there was time to celebrate and enjoy the moment for many. But Bethany and her team, in the spirit of completeness and precision, readied themselves to burn another wave of replicates in the name of science. As the wave started to move in toward the kettle, the new measurements initiated and the data started to transmit. But, very early into their descent toward the inferno of light, they took note that the data didn't match what they had just seen, less than a day earlier. This is odd, thought Bethany. "What do you make of it?" She asked one of her science advisors.
"The energy levels are dramatically reduced. I wouldn't have expected this kind of fluctuation."
"Yes. Agree. And the levels are dropping rapidly."
"You see? The reduced energy is causing the dome to pull back. It's resetting to a new ignition radius. What should we do?"
"Keep going. This might be a rare opportunity where we could be witnessing the end of a white hole. We might even get to the boundary."
The energy level was normally invariable. There was something causing this fluctuation and Bethany, along with her team, and millions of remote spectators watched and puzzled. What could cause the death of a white hole? They all pondered. No phenomenon they were aware of, could cause such a dramatic yet peaceful withdrawal of this mighty object. That is because no such phenomenon existed in nature. Only an act of free will could account for it. Sala. He was in the process of rapidly sealing off the flow of EMs from the other side.
Now, the wave of probes chasing the dome inward, tried to catch up to it. But it was decaying so rapidly, that the dome pulled away faster than they could advance. Soon, it had vanished. The white hole was no longer there, and they stared into a boundary, where a mere trickle of inflowing EMs passed through, nearly nothing. It brought on an excitement within the team. They had witnessed something unusual. By their reckoning, this was presumably a natural phenomenon.
The phenomenon did have a side effect. The curtailment of inbound EMs was so abrupt, that it caused a temporary rarefaction event close to the white hole. The flow of space away from the kettle had a kind of momentum. And when the supply of new EMs stopped, it left a rarified zone in its wake. This caused an immediate slow down in the workings of any matter that was trapped in this zone. It was a situation that would only require a matter of hours to equilibrate. But it left the team that was observing from a distance, to watch in awe as their own replicates nearly ground to a halt, as if suspended helplessly in time. It was entertaining in a way.
Meanwhile, another observer lurked not far away. He was pleased by his little experiment and the convenient availability of human subjects, allowing for a more definitive result. But the fun was now over and it was time to launch a new experiment. Even Sala had been surprised to learn years earlier, that his new replicates, constructed in an adjacent universe and comprised entirely of septaquarks, were stable in his native universe. He had wished for this to be the case, theorizing that the mechanism for energy consumption, which dictated the nature of movement, would allow his extra-universal replicates to move freely and unimpeded by fluctuations in EM density. In fact, the less dense the EMs, the faster his replicates could move.
Septaquarks, unlike triquarks, were higher order cooperatives. There was a division of labor within a septaquark group, which negated the requirement for producing electrons to forage and shape energy on their behalf. This was an advantage in one sense, but sad in another. Without electrons, there was no variety. These magical machines allowed the formation of solids and liquids and scores of unique configurations. The elements. Aggregation of these elements was a natural outcome in their pursuit of energy, causing the emergence of everything from nebulae to quasars. And yes, emergent life and emergent consciousness.
Septaquarks, on the other hand, simply existed more or less, like sharks roaming the sea, an environment abundant in sustenance but devoid of fulfillment. Sala now knew what the rest of humanity only suspected - that universes were aplenty, but among nearly a dozen he had surveyed so far, none was as rich and diverse as his own. At times, he struggled with questions of morality. Humanity must truly be the crowning achievement of our universe. Am I disturbing the path toward perfection, or am I creating it? It was the kind of question he pondered, but only until certain impulses regained their hold and the answers were then guided sharply. Yes, I am the next step in the ultimate chain of emergence. How could it be otherwise? It was always this way. Sala would transition from thoughtful and troubled, to hardened and perfunctory. There was something seriously wrong with him.
Any doubts now cast aside, Sala maneuvered a single monolith toward the now nearly static researchers that had been chasing down the collapsing white hole. All at once, the monolith dissolved into a cloud of purposefully aimed cuboids. They swarmed over the human replicates, who were frozen and unaware of this sudden intrusion. But while those under attack were oblivious, their own replicates now watched, confused and growing more fearful each moment. They were too far away to do anything. The truth of what was happening, had not yet dawned on anyone. Sala was such an old story at this point, a myth according to some.
Lola was elsewhere, with some of those individuals on the white hole team. They were currently together on other expeditions. She immediately tuned into this new development, as did many. Something didn't add up. Unlike most people, Lola never kept fears of Sala far from her thoughts. He was always there, a nagging loose end that was destined to return. But she did not go there immediately, assuming this was a puzzling, new physical phenomenon. It wasn't until those with her started to vanish without a trace, that she was startled into the truth. Within a few minutes, the entire white hole research team was gone. A lot of information had been received and it was immediately clear that the white hole collapse had not been a natural event. There was no science to explain it, and the appearance of Sala could not be merely coincidence.
Minutes later, public venues were established throughout the universe. Anywhere where Lola was not, there was cooperation from other designated individuals that would channel this venue on behalf of Lola. It was a protocol established centuries earlier. An emergency public broadcasting system of sorts, that spanned the universe. This particular broadcast enjoyed nearly full attendance, as news of anything, whether trivial or life threatening, would spread across the cosmos in just seconds. This was clearly news of the life threatening kind. To the attendees, it appeared that they were in a relatively small place. It was fashioned to be intimate and academic, as to minimize distraction and focus people's attention on the subject matter. A traditional lecture hall. This was Lola's signature. But under the circumstances, people's attention to details faded, and there was only the question of, what do we do now?
"We are each of us at great risk. It's not clear what kind of beast Sala has created but you have all seen the recordings. The most striking thing to some of us, is the fact that his soldiers or whatever they are, seem to defy the laws of physics. They were unimpeded by the rarefaction. Time did not slow for them. So we are not sure what we are dealing with. But his intent is clear. Complete destruction, without mercy." Lola sensed very few questions. There was only intense listening going on at this point.
"Let me state the obvious. We need to hide. If he encounters just one of your replicates, you are gone. Forever. Pare down your replicates to just a few. Don't try to go into a black hole. You will slow down and will be easily apprehended. I suggest atmospheric burn or if you are interstellar, organize high speed collisions." Questions started to pummel Lola and she became overwhelmed. In a rare occurrence, she revealed her emotions. It was involuntary. She was completely distraught.
"Stop! Use your judgement. Why would you ask me if you can finish your experiment? Wake up people. Take action now!"
Not everyone internalized the urgency. Or, they were paralyzed by indecision. Which replicates should I save? What should I use as criteria to decide? If I am captured, will I die? "People! I don't have the answers. We all have the same information." Lola steadied herself. As the de facto leader, she was suddenly angry with herself for losing composure, just when people needed her most. "I can only tell what I will do and what I suggest. You can judge whether you agree."
"First thing, we should not congregate or travel in groups. Too easy to detect and more of us will be at risk. Disperse. Once at safe distance, separate your replicates into two groups and separate by enough distance to allow acceleration and a collision that will completely destroy the replicates. The sufficient distance is typically two hundred miles. The entire exercise, from dispersal to destruction should take no more than ten or twenty minutes."
"But that is the easy part. The harder part is how many to save and where to hide. I can't tell you how many to save but whether the number is big or small, don't let anyone else know where you will hide. We have to assume that anyone who is absorbed will pass their knowledge onto Sala. Then he will know where to look. So don't ask anyone and don't tell anyone. I don't know how we will find thirty two million good hiding places but I'm sure we will all try. Personally, I wouldn't try to keep more than two or three replicates. Let's get started now. Good luck to you all."
Lola herself immediately dispersed all of her replicates throughout the universe. It wasn't to save herself. It was to avoid knowledge of the whereabouts of anyone else. Knowledge that could be deadly to others if she were caught. Many others did the same. But there were still large numbers that felt paralyzed to act. These were vestigial human traits that overpowered logic. Those suffering from this hesitation were the easiest prey for Sala, as they were not only slow to act but also felt safer in numbers.
Within hours, Lola and many others has dispensed with the bulk of their numbers. But there were often loose ends. Solo replicates in remote places. Some people were neat and organized. They generally did their cosmic housekeeping and never had replicates floating around without purpose, discarded like intergalactic trash no longer useful. But this did not describe most of humanity. Most people were not very organized and didn't bother to manage all of their replicates effectively. A lone replicate, without any other object within light years, against which to smash oneself to oblivion, was all too common. So while most people had pared down dramatically, they were still very vulnerable. Unfortunately, with trillions of Sala's subjects out there on the hunt, there was no tolerance for carelessness. People were now paying for it with their lives, by the millions.
Laszlo tried to appeal to Abby as she was trying to say goodbye, at least for now. Apart from physical separation, everyone would be silent. It was the key to evading Sala. Silence. "Lola is wrong about one thing. We don't have to completely isolate. If you and I stay together, it doesn't increase the odds of being found. It's only that if we are found, we will both die. I would rather have it that way."
"It only works if you and I only have replicates together and the same number. Otherwise, either of us will lead him to the other."
"Then the result is the same."
Abby pondered, doing some quick math and simulations. "You're right. Let's stay together."
"Okay, two each, in two locations."
"Only two? Isn't that risky?"
"We aren't going to move near light speed so I don't see any risk."
"If you lose one, as long as we are in silent mode, you can't replicate."
"Okay, how about three."
"Three. Good. I feel so much better. To be totally alone, hiding, I can't imagine it. It could be for ever."
"This will be like a long romantic getaway."
"You are really psycho. You know that?"
"What." Laszlo protested. "I know. It's sad. Let's just settle in somewhere and I'll design us a penthouse. We will just wait it out. Maybe we can figure a way out of this. You have any ideas where to go?"
"A few. I also have some ideas on where not to go."